Sector Market Update: Hardwood | 19


SUMMARY


■ Consumers and end-users are still wary about spending


■ A question mark hanging over North American hardwoods is the potential impact of US trade tariffs


■ It is becoming more difficult to source FSC sapele and iroko


■ Asian timber import prices are anticipated to come down, reflecting falling freight rates


MEETING MARKET CHALLENGES


Some hardwood traders are more upbeat than others, but most agree it’s a competitive marketplace. Mike Jeffree reports


It’s not all gloom and doom, but ‘challenging’ is a word that came up frequently in conversations with hardwood traders on the recent state of trade. The slow- moving UK economy has obviously impacted business. Contrary to the expectations of analysts, GDP grew by 0.1% from October to December 2024, but as one importer said, that was “not enough to set anyone’s world alight”. ►


Above: Abodo is increasingly popular for cladding www.ttjonline.com | March/April 2025 | TTJ


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69